Dark Trinity: Astonishing X-Men #8

Never thought Psylocke could be so . . . well, unattractive. But I guess if you mold pretty much any two characters together they’re not going to look all that great. Especially when their faces are melting off.

From the looks of thing, it seems X really is Charles Xavier, who just hopes to continue the work he was doing in life when he had his own body. Though, I’m willing to be he likes Fantomex’s body a bit more — with the whole ability to walk and everything.

He’s not completely Professor X though. And not in the obvious way, OK? There’s something else going on mentally. The Xavier I know would go through peaceful negotiations fully and twist every way possible to avoid a fight.

But this X guy? He clearly has a different approach, maybe a big of Fantomex is still left in there. Why else would he say he agreed with Archangel (tame, good guy Archangel), but then pull psychic guns on the X-Men’s new (old) enemy, Proteus? Appeared he wanted Psylocke with him in case there was a fight while inside Proteus’s mind. And here I thought she was just there to help as moral support in the “peace” discussion.

That’s not saying we can fully believe Proteus. He’s right, one event doesn’t make someone a “bad guy” that can’t be redeemed. Otherwise, some of our favorite characters would forever be known as villains.

X didn’t seem to care for Proteus’s sentiments . . . or his long-winded 3 and a half page explanation as to why he did what he did in the past and how he’s not a bad person because of that.

Maybe X caught something in the course of all that. I sure as hell didn’t. In the first few pages of the issue, X seemed almost as reasonable and trustworthy as Xavier. By the end of it, he found a spot back in the doghouse, much like after issue 7. Now he can cozy up with Proteus since I’m not entirely buying his act either.

Lastly, Mike Deodato did a nice job with the cover. Also like Paulo Siqueira’s art in the book. Charles Soule has done a good job writing these first two issues. I think it’d be best if Marvel kept him on the project even after this portion of the series.